Colm is a filmmaker based in Belfast, with over a decade of experience immersed in local arts, music and filmmaking communities. He has worked on several projects with the Digital Film Archive over the years. Two of his recent projects, The Bannfoot Ferry and Craigavon, new city, have both been shortlised for this years FOCAL awards.

The Digital Film Archive has been vital in my development as an artist and filmmaker over this past decade, and it’s a relationship that grows more fulfilling with each new project.

My first project with the DFA was a visual accompaniment to Malojian’s album ‘Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home’, where I utilised a number of Tourist Board films to create a music video for each track. I subsequently joined Malojian on tour, projecting and mixing archive footage during performances, selecting from the DFA’s extensive library to curate clips unique to each location.

It was at these events where the power of archive really hit home. After every gig, people would invariably tell me how they had recognised a family member, a local landmark or lost memory; or that it brought about some sort of indescribable, almost transcendent reaction.

Every new project since has been driven by this type of connection, to interviewees and collaborators, to people within the footage itself. Each topic proved more interesting than the last, taking me far and wide and allowing me to dig deep into subjects such as the linen industry or the new city of Craigavon. Fittingly, it was my own hometown where I made my most fascinating discovery.

At the Public Records Office, we were able to uncover the original negatives for Boatman, Do Not Tarry, UTV’s first drama produced in 1967, shot on location in my hometown on the southern shores of Lough Neagh. Here was a significant piece of broadcasting history quite literally on my doorstep, kept in pristine condition thanks to the meticulous care and expertise of the DFA and PRONI staff.

In researching Boatman…, I connected more with my home than I had in years, speaking with community groups, teachers, neighbours and family members, who could now see the film for the first time in over 50 years. It means a great deal to be able to preserve the history of this production in some small way, and I have the Digital Film Archive to thank for that.

This story was captured in my documentary The Bannfoot Ferry, viewable now on the DFA, with a longer version due later this year.

Watch The Bannfoot Ferry